The Link Between Cigarettes and Income Taxes

The City of Columbus, Ohio was greeted by a number of Ohio State University medical students and individuals from the Investing in Tobacco-Free Youth Coalition in March of this year. The group touted a poll which found that more than 60% of Ohio voters favored a tax increase of $0.75 per pack of cigarettes and nearly the same percent favored a larger tax of $1.25/pack.
A similar poll was conducted in North Carolina earlier this year. It found that about two out of every three likely voters supported a cigarette tax increase of a dollar per pack in the state. The Executive Director for the North Carolina Alliance for Health stated that the tax increase could provide another $338 million to the state's treasury.
More money for the state government was also given as a benefit for the proposed tax hike in Ohio. "As the state of Ohio faces a severe budget deficit, this survey clearly demonstrates the fact that the majority of Ohioans support a cigarette tax to help...(Read Full Article)